22 April 2008

It seems like months ago now that I put a poll up on my side bar to see who your favourite Food Network star was. Finally after all this time I am posting a recipe from your choice Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa herself, who won by a landslide. And yes there will be a new poll up in the near future if you're interested in that kind of thing. The name Barefoot Contessa comes from a specialty food store Ina had in the late '70's in Westhampton Beach.

This recipe comes from her cookbook "Barefoot Contessa at Home". She says, "Home is wherever Jeffrey is." You can prepare these Danish the night before and bake them in the morning to be eaten warm with a cup of special coffee or herbal tea. For an extra special treat you can drizzle them with some nutella mixed with a tablespoon of cream and heated in the microwave.

I am presenting this dish for a quick and easy breakfast meal for this months Waiter There'sSomething in My..." event. This innovative event is hosted alternately by Jeanne of Cook Sister!, Andrew of SpittoonExtra and Johanna of Passionate Cook . This month Johanna's choice is to find that perfect breakfast food.

Perfect breakfast food to me needs to be quick and easy so that you can carry on with the rest of the day without being under a mountain of preparation or dishes... but... the comfort stays with you for the rest of the day. These Danish make a memorable breakfast. Serve with a fruit salad and you have a breakfast special enough for company and yet quick enough to wolf down on a harried week day. To me this is perfection!!

Place the cream cheese & sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment and cream together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!

Unfold one sheet of pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10x10 inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold two opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.

Bake the puff pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.

30 comments:

Your pastries look so cute, Val :DWhen you talk about all these chefs... I know none! Only know about José Andrés who is now in Washington and has his own tv. show. I like the way he cooks, do you know him?

i have only recently discovered the barefoot contessa - and if all her recipes are as indulging as this, i will certainly buy a book! thanks for participating in WTSIM, it's going to be an amazing spread!

I'm afraid that I have not heard of José Andrés until today Nuria. He is on the Food Network in the States.. “José Made in Spain.” We do get some American chefs but we have to have a certain amount of Canadian content for our networks to get funding:DYou know you want to Ben:D...maybe next month..these were just to good to pass up:DIna's recipes are always reliable Peter my brother:DI am looking forward to the round up Johanna:D

Bravo! I've made these cheese danish and can vouch for the fact that they are indeed easy and delectable! Ina Garten is one of my all-time favorite cooks. I have yet to have any of her recipes fail me in the kitchen, and for that I am grateful.

Oooh, these look fabulous! I love that you can make them ahead of time too. I have family coming to stay in a couple of weeks for my baby shower, and I'm hosting a brunch baby shower in a few months so these would be perfect! Thanks for posting.

I have this cookbook. Why did I never notice this great recipe before? Cheese danish is one of my all time favorite things to have with my coffee! I can't believe that this is so easy to make! Guess what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow! Thanks, Val!

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.